Antioxidant and Immunomodulatory Potential of Cobra lily Species of North-western Himalayan Region: A Comparative Analysis

This study explored the antioxidant and immunomodulatory potential of two ethno-medicinally valuable species belonging to genus Arisaema viz., Arisaema flavum and Arisaema propinquum. The arial parts and tubers of these species were subjected to polarity based extraction using different solvents. In vitro antioxidant studies were performed in terms of DPPH radical scavenging, chelation power on ferrous ions, reducing power and FRAP assays. Immunomodulatory studies were also determined by evaluating Humoral antibody response (Hab) and Delayed type hypersensitivity response (DTH). The results depicted that A. flavum exhibited relatively better antioxidant and immunomodulatory potential than A. propinquum. Methanol extract of A. flavum leaves demonstrated promising antioxidant activity with DPPH radical scavenging IC value of 0.406±0.43 mg/ml (R ² = 0.9643), FRAP value of 2176 mM of Fe ²⁺ /mg extract (R ² = 0.9962) and reducing power with EC 1.25±0.27mg/ml (R2 = 0.9948) than the extracts of A.propinquum. Chelation capacity of methanol extracts of A. flavum (55 %) leaves was found to be quite significant as compared to that of A. propinquum (51 %) at 100 µg/ml concentration. A. flavum leaf methanol extract was also found have immune enhancing effect by increasing the humoral response by 83 % and DTH response by 100 % in immune suppressed mice. The present work concludes that the antioxidative power of A. flavum surpasses that of A. propinquum whereas in case of immunomodulation, A. flavum has considerable enhancing effect on humoral response and A. propinquum demonstrated better DTH response.